1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a door stop, and in particular to a portable telescoping strut type door stop that is used in conjunction with the brace linkage found on large doors.
2. Discussion of the Technical Problems
Large industrial doors are found in nearly all modern buildings. They usually are quite heavy having glass or metal panels and are pivotally mounted with strong hinges. Some doors are provided with automatic shock absorber closing mechanisms. The door frames are made of metal or thick wood. Due to the heavy weight and type of construction, the doors are difficult to keep standing open when it is so desired such as while cleaning a carpet or polishing the floor.
Some doors are provided with built-in door stops of various designs including some position stops in the automatic closing mechanisms. Unfortunately, it has been found that the built-in stops often fail or are out of adjustment. Additionally, some upper mounted built-in door stops are too high off the floor for a short person to use.
In order to keep the doors open and combat the problems of built-in door stops, many janitors and other users of door stops carry portable wedges to insert between the bottom edge of the door and the floor. Unfortunately, these conventional portable floor mounted door stops are subject to sliding about when placed on the floor. They are easily misplaced and somewhat limit the usefulness of having a door stop while working on the floor. In order to clean or wax a floor around such a door stop, one necessarily misses the floor area in the vicinity of the door stop. Furthermore, that type of door stop is easily bumped resulting in the door closing anyway.
The ideal door stop would provide the usefulness of the portable wedge type door stop with the floor clearance provided by the built-in type of door stop. It would be easy to use on any door and would be quick to adjust and remove. It should be light weight and strong.
Prior-art portable door stops are generally of the wedge floor type or are of the built-in type previously mentioned.
While no known examples of portable door stops that coact with the door brace linkage or the edge of the door have been discovered, U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,996 issued to Thompson teaches the use of a removable strut for a chinning bar between a door and a sill and U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,114 issued to Harris teaches using a strut to prop open a sliding glass door.
Other built-in door stops having various frame and mechanical arrangements are known, as are brackets for holding open hinged containers for displays Examples of such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,4l8,740 to Gray, U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,365 to Wegner, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,916,882 to Greene.
Very few devices in the known art relate to portable door stops for hinged doors and none known are directed to providing a door stop having an adjustable strut that is light weight and easy to use.
Accordingly, a need exists for a door stop that would provide safe, convenient, easily adapted, light weight means for keeping a door open at any desired angle. Such a door stop would provide a simple, inexpensive apparatus that could be adapted to all hinged doors and in particular to the heavy duty industrial doors with brace linkage between the frame and the door. A door stop of that type would provide a mechanical linkage that is simple in design, easy to maintain, and easy to adjust to accommodate different doors and desired openings.
The device should be uncomplicated in design, easily placed into position and removed. It should be easily repaired, not subject to damage by proper use, and simple to manufacture. The instant invention is directed to all of these needs as well as to others as explained in the following summary.